Earlier today the President of India announced the government-subsidized Aakash 2 tablet, a follow up to the country’s unsuccessful original Aakash tablet that was announced a couple of years ago. The second iteration of the device has been completely redesigned, effectively allowing for a decent low-cost tablet alternative for college students.

What exactly qualifies as “low-cost”, you ask? Well, when the 7-inch tablet hits the market in the coming months, it will be priced at 2,236 INR, or about $40 US. Moreover, the Indian government will be offering the Aakash version 2.0 to students at a subsidized price of 1,132 INR, which equates to around $20 US.

Don’t think you’re getting a complete pile of garbage for that price either. Datawind, the Canadian-based manufacturer responsible for producing the device, has managed to pack in some adequate hardware, including a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor, 7-inch capacitive display, 512MB of RAM, a 3,000mAh battery, 4GB of internal storage, as well as a MicroSD slot for further expansion. Additionally, the device will run Android 4.0 at launch.

Sure, it isn’t the most powerful device by any means, but considering the inexpensive price point and the targeted customer base, this tablet could prove to be incredibly beneficial. The new slate is expected to make its way to over 220 million Indian students over the next few years, with 244 select engineering colleges to receive first access as a part of the country’s “Aakash in Education” program. Jump past the break for the official PR. Read more